JP5832139B2 - Wind power generator - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a wind power generator, and more particularly to a wind power generator capable of generating power in a wide range of wind speeds.

  The development of electric power generators using renewable energy is becoming popular due to increasing interest in global environmental problems in recent years and concerns about exhaustion of fossil fuels. Among them, wind power generators convert wind energy into electric power, and are power generators that use renewable energy alongside solar power generators, solar thermal power generators, hydroelectric power generators, geothermal power generators, etc. It is attracting attention as a power generator that does not emit carbon dioxide during power generation.

  Generally, in a wind turbine generator, one generator is provided for one windmill, and the rotational driving force generated in the windmill receiving wind is transmitted to the generator, and the rotational driving force is converted into electric power in the generator. Has been. However, due to various circumstances, a plurality of (for example, two) generators are provided for one windmill, and the rotational driving force generated in one windmill is transferred to the plurality of generators via a mechanism such as a gear. A configuration is also known in which transmission is divided and power is generated in each generator (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 08-000240

  Compared to wind turbine generators with large generators, wind turbine generators with multiple small generators with the same total capacity are known to have less starting torque to start rotating the windmill. ing. Therefore, like the wind power generator described in Patent Document 1, a wind power generator provided with a plurality of generators has a lower wind speed than a wind power generator provided with one generator having the same power generation capacity. The windmill starts to rotate and can generate electricity. In other words, the cut-in wind speed can be lowered.

  However, compared with wind power generators with large generators, the total wind power generator with multiple small generators has a limit even if the cut-in wind speed can be lowered. There was a problem that the power generation that fully utilized was not performed.

  In particular, in the case of a wind power generator with a high cutout wind speed, the power generation capacity of the entire wind power generator is designed to be large so that power can be generated efficiently even at a high wind speed. Then, even if a plurality of small generators are provided as described above, the starting torque for rotating the windmill cannot be sufficiently reduced, and there is a problem that power generation using a low wind speed is difficult. In other words, the conventional wind power generator has a problem that it is difficult to generate power in a wide range of wind speeds.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a wind turbine generator that can generate power in a wide range of wind speeds.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following means.
According to the wind power generator of the present invention, the rotation shaft is rotationally driven around the axis by the blades that receive wind, and the rotation of the rotation shaft is transmitted to the plurality of generators via the transmission unit. The plurality of generators controlled by the control unit generate power by being rotationally driven by the rotation shaft. The control unit controls the number of generators that generate power based on the wind speed of the wind blown on the blades or the rotational speed of the rotating shaft. For example, control is performed to increase the number of generators that generate power when the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft increases, and to decrease the number of generators that generate power when the wind speed or rotation speed of the wind decreases.
When the wind speed or the rotational speed of the rotating shaft is slowed down and control is performed to reduce the number of generators that generate power, the wind speed is faster than when control is performed to increase the number of generators that generate power. Alternatively, control is performed to reduce the number of generators that generate power at a high rotational speed.

  When the wind speed of the wind blown on the blades or the rotational speed of the rotating shaft is high, the rotational driving force such as rotational torque transmitted from the rotating shaft to the generator is compared with the case where the wind speed or the rotational speed is slow. growing. Therefore, even if the rotational driving force is distributed to many generators, it is possible to supply a rotational driving force that is large enough to cause each generator to generate power, leaving excess wind energy. Can be converted into electric power.

  When the wind speed of the wind blown on the blades or the rotational speed of the rotating shaft is slow, the rotational driving force such as the rotational torque transmitted from the rotating shaft to the generator is compared with the case where the wind speed or rotational speed is high. Get smaller. Therefore, by reducing the number of generators that generate power and reducing the rotational driving force that the rotating shaft needs to supply to the generator, the blades and the rotating shaft can be continuously rotated. Power generation by can be continued.

  Further, the minimum wind speed at which power generation can be started is slowed down, in other words, power generation can be started even with weak wind. In other words, by starting the power generation with some of the multiple generators, the starting torque required to start rotating the blades, the rotating shaft, and the generator compared to the case of starting the power generation with all the generators. Can be small. In addition, the starting torque can be reduced as compared with the case where power generation is performed using a large generator having a power generation capacity equivalent to the total power generation capacity of a plurality of power generators.

  If the wind speed or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is slow, reduce the number of generators that generate electricity at an early stage of the wind speed or rotating speed, and the rotation required to rotate the blades, rotating shaft, and generator. Reduce driving force. This reduces the number of generators that generate power even when the wind speed decreases rapidly, and the rotational driving force required to rotate the blades, the rotating shaft, and the generator is reduced. The rotating shaft and the generator can be prevented from stopping.

  On the other hand, when the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft increases, increase the number of generators that generate power at a stage where the wind speed or rotation speed is low, and increase the power generation capacity that is the amount of power that can be generated. . Thereby, even if the wind speed of the wind is rapidly increased, the power generation capacity is sufficient, so that the wind energy can be converted into electric power without remaining.

When the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is high, and when power is generated by some generators, the amount of power generated by the power generator It is desirable to perform control to increase the number of generators that generate power when the capacity exceeds about half. By doing in this way, it can prevent that the burden in a transmission part becomes excessive compared with the case where the number of the generators which generate electric power is increased at the time of the electric power generation amount near power generation capacity. Here, the power generation capacity of the generator is the upper limit of the amount of power that can be generated by the generator.

  The burden on the transmission unit varies depending on the increase / decrease in the amount of power generation in the generator that is generating power, and also varies depending on the arrangement balance of the generators that generate power around the axis of the rotating shaft. That is, even if the power generation amount of each generator is the same, if the arrangement balance of the generators that generate power is poor, the burden on the transmission unit increases. Therefore, by increasing the number of generators that generate electricity when the amount of power generated by the generator that generates electricity is small, the placement balance of the generators that generate electricity can be improved at an early stage, and the load on the transmission unit Can be prevented from becoming excessive.

  When increasing the number of generators that generate electricity, reduce the amount of power generated by the generators that have been generating power until then, increase the number of generators that generate electricity, and increase the total amount of generators that generate electricity. It is desirable to increase. By doing so, it is possible to prevent the burden on the transmission unit from becoming excessive as compared with the case of increasing the number of generators that generate power without reducing the amount of power generated by the generator that was generating power. The burden on power distribution can be reduced.

  When the number of generators that generate power is increased, it is possible to quickly reduce the difference in power generation amount among the plurality of generators that generate power. Therefore, it is possible to quickly improve the imbalance of the magnitude of the rotational driving force transmitted to the generator in the transmission unit, and it is possible to prevent the burden on the transmission unit from becoming excessive. In addition, since the power generation amount in the power generator that generates power can be made uniform quickly, it is possible to quickly eliminate the uneven distribution of power that the power generator that generates power should generate.

  When the total power generation amount is increased or decreased without increasing or decreasing the number of the plurality of power generators, it is desirable to increase or decrease the total power generation amount while keeping the power generation amounts of the plurality of generators equal.

  By doing in this way, compared with the case where each electric power generation amount of a some generator differs greatly, while being able to reduce the burden in a transmission part, the burden in distribution of electric power can be made small.

  Here, the power generation amount is equivalent not only when the power generation amount is completely the same, but also when the power generation amount is different by the difference that always occurs when the generator is controlled to make the power generation amount the same. Is also included.

  The generator includes a first generator and a second generator. When the first generator has a smaller starting torque than the second generator and the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is slow, It is desirable to generate electricity with only the first generator and to generate electricity with the first generator and the second generator when the wind speed or rotational speed is high.

By doing in this way, compared with the case where a several generator is the same, ie, the case where starting torque is the same, it can produce electric power from the time of the slower wind speed or the rotational speed of a rotating shaft.
For example, when the appearance rate of 3 m / s to 6 m / s is high in the wind speed of wind, power generation is performed only with some of the generators or the first generator, and wind speeds of 7 m / s to 8 m / s begin to appear. Then, power is generated by all the generators or the first generator and the second generator.

  According to the wind power generator of the present invention, the rotating shaft is driven to rotate around the axis by the blades that receive the wind, and the rotation of the rotating shaft is transmitted to the plurality of generators via the transmission unit and controlled by the control unit. The plurality of generators generate electricity by being driven to rotate by a rotating shaft. Since the control unit controls the number of generators that generate electric power based on the wind speed of the wind blown on the blades or the rotational speed of the rotating shaft, there is an effect that power can be generated in a wide range of wind speeds.

It is a mimetic diagram explaining a schematic structure of a wind power generator concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining the structure of the electric power generation part of FIG. It is a front view explaining the structure of the electric power generation part of FIG. It is an AA arrow directional cross-sectional view explaining the structure of the electric power generation part of FIG. It is a side view explaining the structure of the electric power generation part of FIG. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of the interconnection part in the wind power generator of FIG. It is a graph explaining the control content by the control part of FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining arrangement | positioning of the generator in the wind power generator which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram explaining the structure of the interconnection part in the wind power generator of FIG. It is a graph explaining the control content by the control part of FIG. It is a schematic diagram explaining the structure of the wind power generator which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram explaining the structure in the interconnection part of FIG.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a wind turbine generator 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a wind turbine generator 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the wind turbine generator 1 of the present embodiment includes a plurality of combinations of a vertical axis wind turbine 10, a power generation unit 20, and an interconnection unit 40, and a large horizontal axis type whose output is MW class. Compared with a wind turbine generator using a windmill, a combination of the vertical axis wind turbine 10, the power generation unit 20, and the interconnection unit 40, which is small (for example, the output per unit is about several tens to several tens of kW), is provided. It is a thing. The wind turbine generator 1 is mainly provided with a vertical axis type windmill 10, a power generation unit 20, a gantry 30, and an interconnection unit 40.

  The vertical axis type windmill 10 generates a rotational driving force by receiving wind and supplies the rotational driving force to the power generation unit 20. As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical axis wind turbine 10 is mainly provided with a shaft (rotating shaft) 11, a blade (blade) 12, and an arm 13.

  The shaft 11 is disposed at the center of the vertical axis type windmill 10 and is formed in a columnar shape, more specifically, in a cylindrical shape. The shaft 11 is supported by the pedestal 30 so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis that is a center line thereof, and a known bearing member such as a bearing can be used as a member that rotatably supports the shaft 11. Further, the shaft 11 of the vertical axis type windmill 10 is disposed so as to extend in a direction in which the rotation axis intersects the wind flow direction, for example, in the vertical direction. In the present embodiment, description will be made by applying to an example in which the shaft 11 extends in the vertical direction.

  The blade 12 receives wind and generates a rotational driving force that rotates about the shaft 11. In the present embodiment, the blade 12 is a blade formed so as to extend linearly and has a cross section formed into an airfoil, that is, a straight airfoil. The blades 12 are disposed at equal intervals on the same cylindrical surface around the rotation axis of the shaft 11. Further, the blade 12 is arranged so that the pressure surface in the airfoil faces the shaft 11 side and the suction surface faces the opposite side of the shaft 11. In the present embodiment, description will be made by applying to an example in which three blades 12, 12, 12 are arranged at intervals of 120 °.

  Furthermore, two sets of three blades 12 are arranged on one shaft 11 for a total of six blades 12. That is, a set of three blades 12 is arranged on one (upper portion of the shaft 11) of one shaft 11 divided into two in the longitudinal direction, and the other three blades on the other (lower portion of the shaft 11). Twelve sets are arranged.

  The pair of blades 12 arranged in the lower part is attached to the shaft 11 in a state where the phase (position) where the blades 12 are arranged is different from that of the pair of blades 12 arranged in the upper part. . In this embodiment, the set of blades 12 arranged in the lower part is arranged with a phase difference of 60 ° as compared with the set of blades 12 arranged in the upper part. By doing in this way, the startability of the vertical axis windmill 10 can be improved. That is, it is possible to suppress variation in startability in the vertical axis type wind turbine 10 depending on the direction in which the wind blows.

  The arm 13 is a rod-shaped member disposed between the shaft 11 and the blade 12 and is a member disposed radially about the rotation axis of the shaft 11. The arm 13 attaches and fixes the blade 12 to the shaft 11, and transmits a force such as lift and drag generated in the blade 12 that receives wind to the shaft 11. Two arms 13, 13 are used for one blade 12, and the arm 13 is attached to the blade 12 on the upper end side and the lower end side of the blade 12, and is vertically oriented ( (Mounted in the rotational axis direction).

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the power generation unit 20 of FIG. FIG. 3 is a front view for explaining the configuration of the power generation unit 20 of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA for explaining the configuration of the power generation unit 20 of FIG. 3. FIG. 5 is a side view for explaining the configuration of the power generation unit 20 of FIG. 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the power generation unit 20 is driven to rotate by the shaft 11 of the vertical axis wind turbine 10 to generate power. The power generation unit 20 mainly includes a gear unit (transmission unit) 21 that transmits rotation from the shaft 11, two power generators 22 that generate power, and a support unit 23 that supports the gear unit 21 and the power generator 22. Is provided.

  The gear unit 21 transmits the rotation of the shaft 11 to the power generation unit 20, and converts the rotation speed of the shaft 11 into a rotation speed suitable for power generation in the power generation unit 20. The gear portion 21 is provided with a large gear 21A that is coaxially attached to the shaft 11 and a small gear 21B that is coaxially attached to the rotating shaft of the generator 22 and meshed with the large gear 21A.

  The large gear 21 </ b> A is attached to the lower end of the shaft 11 and is rotatably supported together with the shaft 11. The small gear 21 </ b> B is attached to the end of the rotating shaft of the generator 22 and is rotatable with the rotating shaft of the generator 22. The large gear 21A and the small gear 21B are arranged to mesh with each other, and the rotation of the large gear 21A is transmitted to the small gear 21B.

  In the present embodiment, for the purpose of reducing the weight of the gear portion 21, a high-strength resin such as fiber reinforced resin such as glass fiber or carbon fiber, engineering plastic such as polyethylene terephthalate, or super engineering plastic such as polyphenylene sulfide is used. The description will be made by applying to an example in which the large gear 21A and the small gear 21B are formed.

  Further, a mechanical brake 14 that mechanically restricts the rotation of the shaft 11 is provided in the vicinity of the large gear 21A. The mechanical brake 14 is mainly composed of a disc portion 14A fixed to the shaft 11 and a clamping portion 14B that regulates the rotation of the shaft 11 by sandwiching the disc portion 14A.

  The generator 22 generates power based on the rotational driving force transmitted from the shaft 11 via the gear portion 21. In the present embodiment, the generator 22 is a coreless generator composed of a permanent magnet and a coil, and will be described by applying to an example in which two generators 22 are provided in the power generation unit 20. The two generators 22 have the same power generation capacity and size, and are controlled by the interconnection unit 40. As the generator 22, a coreless generator may be used as described above, or another type of generator may be used, and the generator 22 is not particularly limited.

  The support portion 23 supports the gear portion 21 and the generator 22, and supports these components in a state where the shaft 11 is disposed between the two generators 22. In other words, the generator 22, the shaft 11, and the generator 22 are arranged in this order on the same straight line, and these are supported. In other words, the two generators 22 are supported with the two generators 22 arranged on the object around the axis of the shaft 11.

The support portion 23 is mainly provided with a base portion 23A that supports the generator 22, a step portion 23B that supports the large gear 21A, and a top plate portion 23C and a column portion 23D that cover the large gear 21A. .
The base 23A is a plate-like member that supports other components provided in the power generation unit 20, and the generator 22, the step 23B, and the column 23D are directly attached to the base 23A. The step portion 23B is disposed substantially at the center of the base portion 23A, and rotatably supports the large gear 21A and the shaft 11 from the base portion 23A side. Further, the relative position of the large gear 21A attached to the shaft 11 and the small gear 21B attached to the generator 22 is adjusted, and the two gears are supported so as to mesh with each other.

  The top plate portion 23C is a plate-like member in which the large gear 21A is disposed between the top plate portion 23A and the base portion 23A, and covers the large gear 21A from above. A through hole through which the shaft 11 is inserted is formed in the top plate portion 23C. Four column portions 23D are arranged between the top plate portion 23C and the base portion 23A, and the top plate portion 23C is fixed to the base portion 23A by the column portion 23D.

  The gantry 30 supports a plurality of sets including at least the vertical axis windmill 10 and the power generation unit 20 and has a truss structure or a ramen structure surrounding the vertical axis windmill 10 and the power generation unit 20. is there. In the present embodiment, description will be made by applying to an example of a gantry 30 that supports four sets of vertical axis wind turbines 10 and a power generation unit 20 in a state of being arranged in a straight line in the horizontal direction. The gantry 30 is mainly provided with a column 31, a lower support portion 33, an upper support portion 34, and a center support portion 35.

  The column 31 is a columnar member that extends in the vertical direction from the base B to the upper end of the gantry 30 (11 m above the ground in the present embodiment), and forms the outer shape of the gantry 30. The support column 31 supports most of the mass of the vertical axis windmill 10 and the power generation unit 20, and supports the vertical axis windmill 10 and the power generation unit 20 at a position away from the ground upward. The column 31 is a columnar member, and is disposed at four locations that are separated in four directions around the set of one vertical axis type windmill 10 and the power generation unit 20. In a place where the set of the vertical axis type wind turbine 10 and the power generation unit 20 is adjacent and the two struts 31 overlap, one strut 31 is omitted and the remaining one strut 31 is shared.

  The lower support portion 33 supports the mass of the vertical axis wind turbine 10 and the power generation unit 20 together with the support 31. The lower support portion 33 is disposed so as to extend horizontally between the four support columns 31 at a position spaced apart from the ground by a desired distance (about 2 m in the present embodiment), and the pedestal 30 from above. It is a rod-like member arranged so as to connect the four support columns 31 diagonally. In the present embodiment, the lower support portion 33 will be described as applied to an example in which a member whose cross section is formed in an I shape or an H shape is used.

  The upper support part 34 supports the upper end of the shaft 11 rotatably. The upper support portion 34 is disposed in the vicinity of the upper end of the support column 31 so as to extend horizontally between the four support columns 31 and connects the four support columns 31 diagonally when the gantry 30 is viewed from above. It is the rod-shaped member arrange | positioned in.

  The center support part 35 supports the center part of the shaft 11 rotatably. The central support portion 35 is disposed between the lower support portion 33 and the upper support portion 34 and extends between the four support columns 31 in the horizontal direction between the blades 12 arranged vertically. In addition, it is a rod-like member arranged so as to connect the four main columns 31 diagonally when the gantry 30 is viewed from above. Known bearings such as bearings that support the shaft 11 so as to be rotatable around the rotation axis are disposed between the upper support portion 34 and the upper end of the shaft 11 and between the central support portion 35 and the shaft 11. Yes.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the interconnection unit 40 in the wind turbine generator 1 of FIG.
The interconnection unit 40 converts the voltage and frequency in the power generated by the generator 22 into the voltage and frequency in an external power system (for example, commercial power supply), and controls the power generation in the generator 22. It is also what you do. As shown in FIG. 6, the interconnecting unit 40 is mainly provided with a converter unit 41, a switch unit 42, a power conditioner 43, and a control unit 44.

  The converter unit 41 converts AC power generated by the generator 22 into DC power, and then converts the voltage of the DC power into DC power having a desired voltage (AC-DC-DC converter). . The converter unit 41 also controls power generation in the generator 22 based on a control signal input from the control unit 44.

  The switch unit 42 controls the amount of DC power supplied from the converter unit 41 to the power conditioner 43 based on a control signal input from the control unit 44. Further, the switch unit 42 controls the load on the generator 22 by controlling the amount of DC power supplied from the converter unit 41 to the power conditioner 43, thereby controlling the power generation in the generator 22.

  The power conditioner 43 converts DC power into AC power having a desired frequency (DC-AC converter). As a desired frequency, the same 50 Hz and 60 Hz frequency as commercial power supply can be illustrated.

  The control unit 44 is an arithmetic processing device that performs arithmetic processing of various information by reading and executing various programs written in a built-in storage device. Further, the control unit 44 controls the converter unit 41 and the switch unit 42 to control the amount of power output to the external power system and to control power generation in the power generation unit 20. A measurement signal from a rotation sensor 45 that measures the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is input to the control unit 44, and the control unit 44 generates a control signal for controlling the converter unit 41 and the switch unit 42 based on the measurement signal. ing. The generated control signal is output to the converter unit 41 and the switch unit 42.

Next, power generation in the wind turbine generator 1 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 6.
First, general contents of power generation by the wind power generator 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vertical axis wind turbine 10 of the wind turbine generator 1 rotates around a shaft 11 when receiving wind. Specifically, the blade 12 of the vertical axis windmill 10 rotates around the shaft 11 by generating lift and drag when receiving wind. When the vertical axis wind turbine 10 starts to rotate, the blade 12 receives a relative air flow due to its rotation in addition to the wind, thereby generating lift and rotating about the shaft 11.

  The rotation of the shaft 11 is transmitted to the generator 22 through the gear portion 21, and the generator 22 generates power using the transmitted rotational driving force. The power generated by the generator 22 is converted in voltage and frequency in the interconnection unit 40 so that it can be supplied to an external power system. The power output from the interconnection unit 40 is supplied to an external power system, that is, sold. In addition, the generated power may be stored in a storage battery, or may be supplied to a facility (for example, industrial facility or commercial facility) that consumes power.

  Next, the control of power generation in the generator 22 that is a feature of the present embodiment will be described. Specifically, the feature of the wind power generator 1 of the present embodiment is that the number of generators 22 that generate power based on the number of rotations of the shaft 11 is increased or decreased. This point will be described. FIG. 7 is a graph illustrating the contents of control by the control unit of FIG.

  When the wind starts to blow from the state where the wind is stopped and the wind speed gradually increases, the blade 12 and the shaft 11 receiving the wind start to rotate (from the left to the right in FIG. 7). When the wind speed exceeds the cut-in wind speed, which is the wind speed at which power generation is possible in the wind power generator 1, power generation is started in the wind power generator 1.

  The measurement signal output from the rotation sensor 45 is input to the control unit 44, and the control unit 44 estimates the rotation speed of the shaft 11 based on the measurement signal. When the rotational speed of the shaft 11 is less than the first threshold, the control unit 44 performs power generation with one of the two generators 22 and performs control without generating power with the remaining one. Control that does not generate power is performed by outputting a control signal that interrupts the flow of current from the converter unit 41 to the power conditioner 43 to the switch unit 42.

  Here, the first threshold value is that the power generation amount generated by the power generation unit 20 when the shaft 11 is rotated at this rotational speed is 40% to 60% of the power generation capacity of the power generation unit 20. It is a value that is a predetermined value.

  Further, the control unit 44 outputs a control signal for controlling the amount of power generated according to the rotational speed of the shaft 11, in other words, the amount of power supplied to the external power system, to the generator 22 that generates power. The amount of power generation or the amount of power is controlled by converting the voltage and frequency of power in the converter unit 41 and controlling the current flow in the switch unit 42.

  When the rotational speed of the shaft 11 is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the control unit 44 performs control to reduce the power generation amount in the generator 22 that has been generating power until then, and the second that has not been generated until then. Control for starting power generation in the generator 22 is performed. As shown in FIG. 7, the total power generation amount in the two generators 22 is controlled so as to increase in proportion to the increase in the rotational speed.

  The amount of power generated in the generator 22 that has been generating power from the beginning is decreased as the rotational speed increases until the amount of power generated in the two generators 22 becomes equal. Control that increases with increasing speed is performed.

  When the power generation amounts in the two power generators 22 become equal, control for increasing the power generation amount as the rotational speed increases is maintained by the control unit 44 while maintaining the same power generation amount relationship for the two power generators 22. Done.

  On the other hand, when the wind becomes weak and the wind speed gradually decreases, the rotation speed of the shaft 11 starts to decrease (from the right to the left in FIG. 7). When the rotational speed of the shaft 11 is equal to or higher than the second threshold, control is performed so that the power generation amounts in the two generators 22 are equal. When the rotational speed of the shaft 11 falls below the second threshold value, the power generation amount in one generator 22 is increased and the power generation amount in the other one generator 22 is drastically reduced as the rotational speed is reduced. The The total power generation amount in the two generators 22 is controlled so as to decrease as the rotational speed decreases.

Then, when the rotation speed of the shaft 11 further decreases and falls below the third threshold value, power is generated by only one generator 22 and control is performed in which the other one generator 22 does not generate power. The amount of power generation in the generator 22 that generates power is controlled to decrease as the rotational speed decreases. Here, the third threshold value has a larger value than the first threshold value, and the second threshold value has a larger value than the third threshold value. The size relationship is as follows.
First threshold> third threshold> second threshold.

  According to said structure, it can generate electric power in a wide wind speed range. For example, when the wind speed of the wind blown to the blade 12 or the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is fast, the rotational driving force such as the rotation torque transmitted from the shaft 11 to the generator 22 is slow in the wind speed or the rotation speed. Compared to Therefore, even if the rotational driving force is distributed to the two generators 22, it is possible to supply a rotational driving force large enough to cause each of the generators 22 to generate power, thereby reducing the wind energy. It can be converted into electric power without leaving.

  On the contrary, when the wind speed of the wind blown to the blade 12 or the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is slow, the rotational driving force such as the rotation torque transmitted from the shaft 11 to the generator 22 has a high wind speed or rotation speed. Smaller than the case. Therefore, the blade 12 and the shaft 11 are continuously rotated by reducing the number of generators 22 that generate power to one and reducing the rotational driving force that the shaft 11 needs to supply to the generator 22. Power generation by the generator 22 can be continued.

  Further, the minimum wind speed at which power generation can be started is slowed down, in other words, power generation can be started even with weak wind. That is, starting torque required to start rotating the blade 12, the shaft 11, and the generator 22 as compared with a case where power generation is started by the two generators 22 by starting power generation by one generator 22. Can be reduced. In addition, the starting torque can be reduced as compared with the case where power generation is performed using a large generator having a power generation capacity equivalent to the total power generation capacity of the two power generators 22.

  When the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is slow, the number of generators 22 that generate power is reduced at an early stage of the wind speed or rotation speed, and the blade 12, the shaft 11 and the generator 22 are rotated. Control is performed to reduce the required rotational driving force. As a result, even if the wind speed rapidly decreases, the number of generators 22 that generate power is reduced to one, and the rotational driving force required to rotate the blade 12, the shaft 11, and the generator 22 is small. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the blade 12, the shaft 11, and the generator 22 from stopping.

  On the other hand, when the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is increased, the number of generators 22 that generate power at the stage where the wind speed or the rotation speed is low is increased to two, and the power generation amount that can be generated is Control to increase the capacity is performed. Thereby, even if the wind speed of the wind is rapidly increased, the power generation capacity is sufficient, so that the wind energy can be converted into electric power without remaining.

  When power is generated by one generator 22, the power generation amount of the power generator 22 generating power is a predetermined value between 40% and 60% with respect to the power generation capacity of the power generator 22. When it exceeds, control is performed to increase the number of generators 22 that generate power to two. By doing in this way, it can prevent that the burden in the gear part 21 becomes excessive compared with the case where the number of the generators 22 which generate electric power at the time of the electric power generation amount close | similar to electric power generation capacity is increased to two.

  The burden on the shaft 11 varies depending on the increase or decrease in the amount of power generation in the generator 22 that generates power, and also varies depending on the arrangement balance of the power generation units that generate power around the axis of the shaft 11. That is, even if the power generation amount of each generator 22 is the same, if the arrangement balance of the generators 22 that generate power is poor, the burden on the gear unit 21 increases. Therefore, by increasing the number of generators 22 that generate power from one to two and improving the arrangement balance at an early stage when the power generation amount in the generator 22 that generates power is small, the gear unit 21 is improved. This burden can be prevented from becoming excessive.

  When increasing the number of generators 22 that perform power generation from one to two, the amount of power generation in the generator 22 that has been generating power until then is decreased, and the number of generators 22 that generate power is increased to two. The total power generation amount of the power generator 22 that generates power is increased. By doing in this way, it prevents that the burden in the gear part 21 becomes excessive compared with the case where the number of the generators 22 which generate electric power is increased, without reducing the electric power generation amount of the generator 22 which was generating electric power. It is possible to reduce the burden of power distribution.

  Furthermore, when the number of generators 22 that generate power is increased to two, the difference in power generation amount between the two generators 22 that generate power can be quickly reduced. Therefore, the imbalance of the magnitude of the rotational driving force transmitted to the two generators 22 in the gear unit 21 can be quickly improved, and the burden on the gear unit 21 can be prevented from becoming excessive. Moreover, since the power generation amount in the power generator 22 that generates power can be made uniform quickly, it is possible to quickly eliminate the uneven distribution of power that the power generator 22 that generates power should generate.

  When the total power generation amount is increased or decreased without increasing or decreasing the number of generators 22 that generate power, the total power generation amount is increased or decreased while keeping the respective power generation amounts of the two generators 22 equal. Yes. By doing in this way, the burden in the gear part 21 can be reduced and the burden in distribution of electric power can be made small compared with the case where each power generation amount of the two generators 22 is greatly different.

  Note that the control unit 44 preferably performs maximum power point tracking control (MPPT control) on the converter unit 41 and the power conditioner 43, and in particular, independent on each of the converter unit 41 and the power conditioner 43. It is preferable to perform the MPPT control.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The basic configuration of the wind turbine generator of the present embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but includes a first generator and a second generator having different power generation capacities from the first embodiment. Is different. Therefore, in the present embodiment, power generation using the first generator and the second generator having different power generation capacities will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10, and description of other components and the like will be omitted.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the arrangement of the generators in the wind turbine generator 101 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the interconnection unit 140 in the wind turbine generator of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the power generation unit 120 in the wind power generator 101 of the present embodiment includes a gear unit 21, two first generators 122 </ b> A and two second generators 122 </ b> B that generate power, and a support unit 23. (See FIG. 2 etc.).

  Both the first generator 122 </ b> A and the second generator 122 </ b> B generate power based on the rotational driving force transmitted from the shaft 11 via the gear portion 21. In the present embodiment, the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B are coreless generators composed of permanent magnets and coils, and the two first generators 122A and the two second generators 122B are the power generation unit 120. This will be described by applying to the example provided in FIG.

  The two first generators 122A and the two second generators 122B are arranged with an interval in the axial direction of the shaft 11 (vertical direction in FIG. 8). Therefore, the gear part 21 that transmits the rotational driving force to the two first generators 122A and the gear part 21 that transmits the rotational driving force to the two second generators 122B are provided separately.

  The two first generators 122A have the same power generation capacity, size, and the like, and are controlled by the interconnection unit 140. Further, the two first generators 122A are arranged on the same straight line in the order of the first generator 122A, the shaft 11, and the first generator 122A.

  The second power generator 122B has a larger power generation capacity than the first power generator 122A. Further, the two second generators 122B have the same power generation capacity, size, etc., and are controlled by the interconnection unit 140. Further, the two second generators 122B are arranged in the order of the second generator 122B, the shaft 11, and the second generator 122B on the same straight line.

  The interconnection unit 140 converts a voltage and a frequency in the power generated by the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B into a voltage and a frequency in an external power system (for example, a commercial power source), and In addition, the power generation in the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B is also controlled. As shown in FIG. 9, the interconnection unit 140 is mainly provided with a converter unit 41, a switch unit 42, a power conditioner 43, and a control unit 144.

  The control unit 144 is an arithmetic processing device that performs various types of information arithmetic processing by reading and executing various programs written in a built-in storage device. Further, the control unit 144 controls the converter unit 41 and the switch unit 42 to control the amount of power output to the external power system, and also controls power generation in the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B. Is. A measurement signal of the rotation sensor 45 that measures the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is input to the control unit 144, and the control unit 144 generates a control signal for controlling the converter unit 41 and the switch unit 42 based on the measurement signal. ing. The generated control signal is output to the converter unit 41 and the switch unit 42.

  Next, power generation control in the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B, which is a feature of this embodiment, will be described. Specifically, the point of controlling the power generation of the first power generator 122A and the second power generator 122B that generates power based on the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is a feature of the wind power generator 101 of the present embodiment. explain. FIG. 10 is a graph illustrating the contents of control by the control unit of FIG.

  When the wind starts blowing from the state where the wind is stopped and the wind speed is gradually increased, the blade 12 and the shaft 11 receiving the wind start to rotate (from the left to the right in FIG. 10). When the wind speed exceeds the cut-in wind speed, which is the wind speed at which power generation is possible in the wind power generation apparatus 101, power generation is started in the wind power generation apparatus 101.

  The measurement signal output from the rotation sensor 45 is input to the control unit 144, and the control unit 144 estimates the rotation speed of the shaft 11 based on the measurement signal. When the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is less than the first threshold value, the control unit 144 performs power generation with the two first power generators 122A and performs control without generating power with the second power generator 122B. Control that does not generate power is performed by outputting a control signal that interrupts the flow of current from the converter unit 41 to the power conditioner 43 to the switch unit 42.

  When the rotational speed of the shaft 11 becomes equal to or higher than the first threshold, the control unit 144 performs control to reduce the power generation amount in the first generator 122A and generates power in the second generator 122B that has not been generating power until then. Control to start. As shown in FIG. 10, the total power generation amount in the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B is controlled to increase in proportion to the increase in rotational speed.

  The amount of power generation in the first generator 122A is the rotational speed until the ratio of the power generation amount in the second generator 122B is the same as the ratio of the power generation capacity between the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B. Decrease with increase. On the other hand, the amount of power generation in the second generator 122B is increased as the rotational speed increases.

  When the ratio of the power generation amount in the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B becomes equal to the ratio of the power generation capacity, the ratio of the power generation amount is kept constant with respect to the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B. The control unit 144 performs control to increase the amount of power generation as the rotational speed increases.

  On the other hand, when the wind becomes weak and the wind speed gradually decreases, the rotational speed of the shaft 11 begins to decrease (from the right to the left in FIG. 10). When the rotational speed of the shaft 11 is equal to or higher than the second threshold value, control is performed such that the ratio of the power generation amount in the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B is equal to the ratio of the power generation capacity. When the rotational speed of the shaft 11 falls below the second threshold value, the power generation amount in the first generator 122A is increased and the power generation amount in the second generator 122B is rapidly reduced along with the decrease in the rotation speed. The total amount of power generation in the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B is controlled so as to decrease as the rotational speed decreases.

  When the rotation speed of the shaft 11 further decreases and falls below the third threshold value, power is generated only by the first generator 122A, and control is performed not by the second generator 122B. The amount of power generation in the first generator 122A is controlled to decrease as the rotational speed decreases.

  According to the above configuration, when the plurality of generators are the same, that is, when the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the shaft 11 is slow compared to the case where the starting torque is the same, the first generator 122A is used to generate power, When the wind speed or the rotational speed is high, the first generator 122A and the second generator 122B generate electric power, so that it is possible to generate electric power from the slower wind speed or the rotational speed of the rotating shaft.

  For example, when the appearance rate of 3 m / s to 6 m / s is high in the wind speed of the wind, the first power generation is performed only by the first generator 122A, and when the wind speed of 7 m / s to 8 m / s starts to appear, the first power generation Electricity is generated by the machine 122A and the second generator 122B.

  In the above-described embodiment, the description is applied to an example in which the two first generators 122A and the two second generators 122B are controlled so as to simultaneously start or stop power generation. Furthermore, as in the first embodiment, the timing for starting power generation and the timing for stopping power generation are controlled separately between the two first generators 122A and between the two second generators 122B. May be.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG.
The basic configuration of the wind turbine generator of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, but differs from the first embodiment in that the generator is controlled based on wind speed and weather information. Therefore, in this embodiment, control of a generator is demonstrated using FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, and description of other components is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the wind turbine generator 201 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the interconnection unit 240 of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the wind turbine generator 201 of the present embodiment is mainly provided with a vertical axis wind turbine 10, a power generation unit 20, a gantry 30, and a linkage unit 240.

  The interconnection unit 240 converts the voltage and frequency in the power generated by the generator 22 into the voltage and frequency in an external power system (for example, commercial power supply), and controls the power generation in the generator 22. It is also what you do. As shown in FIG. 12, the interconnection unit 240 mainly includes a converter unit 41, a switch unit 42, a power conditioner 43, a control unit 244, a communication unit 246, and an anemometer 245. ing.

  The communication unit 246 is an interface connected to an external communication network such as the Internet, and outputs data related to weather information acquired via the external communication network to the control unit 244. As the communication part 246, a well-known thing can be used and it does not specifically limit.

  The anemometer 245 measures the wind speed of the wind blown on the blade 12, and outputs the measured wind speed value to the control unit 244 as a measurement signal. In the present embodiment, description will be made by applying to an example of an anemometer 245 having a horizontal axis type propeller. However, a cup anemometer may be used, and the form thereof is not limited.

  Next, the control of power generation in the generator 22 that is a feature of the present embodiment will be described. Specifically, the point of controlling the power generation of the generator 22 based on weather information and wind speed is a feature of the wind power generator 201 of the present embodiment, and this point will be described.

  When the wind starts to blow from the state where the wind is stopped and the wind speed is gradually increased, the blade 12 and the shaft 11 receiving the wind start to rotate. When the wind speed exceeds the cut-in wind speed, which is the wind speed at which power generation is possible in the wind power generator 201, power generation is started in the wind power generator 201.

  The measurement signal output from the anemometer 245 is input to the control unit 244, and weather information data is input via the communication unit 246. The control unit 244 estimates the rotational speed of the shaft 11 based on the measurement signal, estimates future changes in wind speed based on the weather information data, and estimates the future rotational speed of the shaft 11 after a predetermined elapse. . When the estimated rotation speed of the shaft 11 is less than the first threshold value, the control unit 244 performs power generation with one generator 22 and performs control without performing power generation with the remaining one generator 22.

  When the estimated rotation speed of the shaft 11 is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the control unit 244 performs control to reduce the amount of power generation in the generator 22 that is generating power, and the generator that has not generated power until then. Control to start power generation at 22 is performed. The total power generation amount in the two generators 22 is controlled so as to increase in proportion to the increase in the rotational speed.

  On the other hand, when the wind becomes weak and the wind speed gradually decreases, the rotation speed of the shaft 11 starts to decrease. When the estimated rotation speed of the shaft 11 is equal to or higher than the second threshold value, control is performed so that the power generation amounts in the two generators 22 are equal. When the estimated rotation speed of the shaft 11 falls below the second threshold value, the power generation amount in one generator 22 increases with the decrease in the rotation speed, and the power generation amount in the other one generator 22 suddenly increases. Reduced to The total power generation amount in the two generators 22 is controlled so as to decrease as the rotational speed decreases.

  Then, when the estimated rotation speed of the shaft 11 further decreases and falls below the third threshold value, power generation is performed by only one generator 22, and control that does not generate power by the other one generator 22 is performed. Done. The amount of power generation in the generator 22 that generates power is controlled to decrease as the rotational speed decreases.

  According to the above configuration, in order to estimate the future rotational speed of the shaft 11 based on the data of weather information in addition to the measurement signal obtained by measuring the wind speed of the wind blown on the blade 12, the change in the wind speed was followed. It becomes easier to control the generator 22. In the method based only on the measurement signal obtained by measuring the wind speed of the wind, the generator 22 cannot be controlled unless a change in the wind speed is detected, and the control of the generator 22 is likely to be delayed. There is. On the other hand, by controlling the generator 22 by adding weather information data, it is possible to perform control based on the tendency of future changes in wind speed, so compared with the case where the weather information data is not used. Thus, the control of the generator 22 is less likely to be delayed.

The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in the above embodiment, the present invention has been described by applying it to a wind power generator using a vertical axis windmill. However, the present invention uses a horizontal axis windmill in addition to the vertical axis windmill. It can also be applied to wind power generators.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,101,201 ... Wind power generator, 11 ... Shaft (rotary shaft), 12 ... Blade (blade), 21 ... Gear part (transmission part), 22 ... Generator, 44, 144, 244 ... Control part, 122A ... 1st generator, 122B ... 2nd generator

Claims (5)

A rotating shaft supported rotatably about an axis, and
Blades for receiving wind and rotating the rotating shaft around the axis;
A plurality of generators that generate electric power by being rotationally driven;
A transmission unit for transmitting rotation of the rotating shaft to the plurality of generators;
A controller that individually controls power generation in the plurality of power generators, and increases or decreases the number of power generators that generate power in proportion to the wind speed of the wind or the rotational speed of the rotating shaft;
Is provided,
In the case where the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is slowed down and the number of the generators that generate power is reduced, the control unit is compared with the case where the number of generators that generate power is increased. Te, wind power generation device you and performs control to reduce the number of the generator for generating electric power at a faster the wind speed or the rotational speed. The said control part is the case where the wind speed of the said wind or the rotational speed of the said rotating shaft becomes high, Comprising: The said generator which is generating electric power, when generating electric power only with a part of said generator wind power amount, the exceeding about half of the power capacity of the generator is performing power generation, according to claim 1 Symbol placement and performs control to increase the number of the generator for generating electricity in Power generation device. When the controller increases the number of generators that generate power,
The amount of power generation in the generator that has been generating power until then is decreased, and the total amount of power generation by the generator that has been generating power up to that point and the generator that has newly started power generation is increased. The wind turbine generator according to claim 1 or 2 . The control unit performs power generation in the plurality of generators while keeping the number of the generators that generate power constant, and increases or decreases the total power generation amount,
The wind turbine generator according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein control is performed to increase or decrease the total power generation amount while maintaining the same amount of power generation in each of the plurality of generators. The generator includes a first generator having a relatively small starting torque and a second generator having a large starting torque,
When the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is slow, the control unit generates power only with the first generator, and when the wind speed of the wind or the rotation speed of the rotating shaft is high, the control section generates the first power generation. The wind power generator according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , wherein power is generated by a power generator and the second power generator.

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